The Legacy Of Family Love
by GoldGuardian2418
Summary: Sequel to "Family Love Isn't Skin Deep". It's been two years since Emily was adopted by the Hauntleys, but now, strange things begin to happen. Will the family solve this new mystery? Done as a request for dream1990. :)
1. Unusual Behavior

**dream1990 asked for this one. Here you go, Amigo! Enjoy! :)**

 **Vampirina belongs to Disney. I only own Emily, the Stemwrithes, and Rachel.**

 **A/N: This story is the sequel to "Family Love Isn't Skin Deep", which can be found on my page, and takes place two years after "Family Love Isn't Skin Deep."**

* * *

 **The Legacy Of Family Love**

 **Chapter 1: Unusual Behavior**

Two years had passed since the terrible ordeal of the Stemwrithes trying to kidnap Emily from the Hauntleys and the little girl had transformed from a shy, unsure girl into a little girl who loved adventure and became more outgoing, something that was a nice change to see.

However, there was one thing that Oxana had noticed. "Boris, darling, have you noticed Emily is still the same height as she was two years ago?" She asked.

"Now that you mention it, my darling, I have," he said. "Emily should have grown at least a couple of inches."

"And vampire children age slower than humans, but why does Emily still look the same as she did when she was four?"

They weren't the only ones who had noticed. Chef Remy was deep in thought, having seen that Emily was still the same height as she was when she was four and something else had caught his attention.

 _Flashback…_

 _Remy was working on his famous Swamp Goulash, a favorite for many of the monster guests that had reviewed the Scare B &B as a wonderful place to stay and the food was fantastic, something that made him beam with pride. He then made extra Swamp Goulash for the Hauntleys, and made a small pot of regular goulash for Emily. Some cooks might have complained about making so much food, but Remy didn't mind. He was very fond of the Hauntleys, especially Vampirina and Emily, who often would help him in the kitchen._

 _Emily came in. "Something smells really good, Remy," she said._

" _My famous Swamp Goulash," he said proudly. "And I made some regular goulash for you too."_

 _He noted the young girl looked curious. "Can I try a little of your Swamp Goulash, Remy?" She asked._

 _Though a bit concerned as he knew humans didn't really care much for monster food, he decided that it wouldn't hurt for her to try a little and gave her a small bit. To his surprise, she ate it and declared it was delicious and asked for a little bit to be mixed with the regular goulash. Surprised, he nodded and puzzled over how she had liked the goulash. "She liked it?" He asked himself and then shook his head. "No, she was probably pretending."_

 _But more and more, he noticed that she was asking to try the monster foods and she was apparently liking them very much, much to his confusion and puzzlement._

 _Flashback end…_

Remy was pulled from his thoughts when Emily came in and she hugged him. "Hi, Remy!" She said happily.

"Hello, Emily," he said with a smile. "How was your day, _chere?"_

"It was awesome! We got our spelling tests back and I only misspelled one word," she said.

"What word was that?" He asked.

"Pharaoh," she said and then looked sheepish. "I missed the second 'a'."

"Ah, that can be a tough word," he said gently before perking up. "Oh, I know a way you can remember the second 'a'."

"How?" She asked.

"You know the first three letters are p-h-a," he said. "But the word 'Pharaoh,' has the word 'Ra' in it, and 'Ra' is the Egyptian sun god."

"Ra and then oh, like an exclamation?" Emily asked.

"There you go!" He said with a smile. "What do you think?"

She grinned. "I think I'll never forget that," she said. "Thanks, Remy."

"You're welcome," he said.

"Can I help you in the kitchen?"

He chuckled. "Of course," he said. "I'm about to make ghost soup and shriek bread."

"Mmm, sounds yummy," Emily said. "Can I try some when it's made?"

"Alright," he said, and then curiosity took over. "Emily, do you really like my cooking?"

She nodded. "You're the best, Remy," she said. "The Swamp Goulash was delicious and tasted great with the human goulash you made me."

Shrugging to himself, Remy got the ingredients out and they were soon making the ghost soup and shriek bread. Emily was stirring the soup and saw the steam started to look like ghosts and giggled. "The steam looks like ghosts," she said.

"The reason it's called ghost soup," he said with a chuckle, playfully tickling her sides and making her laugh before he put the bread in the oven to cook and Emily set the timer.

Oxana and Boris were watching and curious. "Well, she's been trying a lot of Remy's cooking and likes it," Oxana said.

"That is true," Boris said. "She even asked if Remy could make some of his goulash for her to take to school. I think he's making that for lunch for the girls tomorrow."

The red-haired woman took a deep breath. "Well, maybe she is just curious and wants to at least try new things," she said. "She has been here for two years after all."

"Yes, and has grown into a happy little girl," her husband said. "Remember when she was so shy?"

"Yes, and wouldn't really leave our sides for a bit," Oxana remembered. "And then the horrible ordeal with those murderers trying to kidnap her."

"Thankfully, that was handled quickly and she is now safe and never has to worry about them again."

"Let's hope so," the vampire woman said. "I'd hate to think if those two did manage to come back and try again."

"They'd have to get past a lot of us if they dared," Boris said.

The subject was dropped as Remy and Emily served up dinner and they all sat down to eat, but little did any of them know that Emily's unusual liking of Remy's cooking was part of something else, something that they never would have expected in a million years.

* * *

 **Hmm. Very curious, no? Stay tuned for the next chapter. :)**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	2. Growing Teeth

**Chapter 2: Growing Teeth**

Emily was in the bathroom, about to brush her teeth. She had already changed into her blue ghost pajamas, a gift from Demi, and was ready for bed.

The blue ghost then came in. "Hey, Emily!" He exclaimed happily. "Ready to get those pearly whites all shiny?" He asked, tickling her neck playfully.

The little girl giggled and playfully swatted his hand away. "Demi," she groaned good-naturedly.

"Just messing with you," he said as he watched her brush her teeth. As she did, Demi glanced at her teeth and frowned slightly.

He was certain Emily's eye teeth were getting longer. He had noticed the minute changes and was curious as to why her eye teeth were growing. He decided to keep quiet about it though, but if someone brought it up, he'd speak up. "It might be just my imagination," he said to himself.

Emily finished brushing her teeth and then rinsed her mouth out before checking her teeth in the mirror and smiling. "Okay, teeth brushed and I'm ready for bed," she said.

Just as she exited out the bathroom, two arms caught her and she giggled as she saw it was her father, who playfully held her upside down as he walked down the hallway. She giggled again before being set right side up.

"Don't forget, sweetie, you have a dentist appointment tomorrow," Boris said. "Your mother and I will pick you up from school at two o'clock, alright?"

"Okay, Daddy," Emily said. "Does Mr. Gore know?"

"Yes," Oxana said. "And he's already given permission for you to leave at two so we can make it to your appointment."

Smiling, the little girl was soon snuggled in her bed and her parents kissed her goodnight before she fell asleep.

 _Dentist's office, next day…_

The Dentist came out to speak with Oxana and Boris while his assistants helped Emily get ready to head for home. "Well, her teeth are in good health," he said to the parents. "Though…her eyeteeth are rather long."

Oxana looked confused. "What do you mean, doctor?" She asked.

"Well, her eyeteeth are longer than I've seen in most of my patients," he said. "Most children don't have eyeteeth as long as your daughter does. I at first thought they were play vampire teeth and your daughter was playing a joke, but then I saw they were real."

Boris looked confused. "And…this isn't normal?" He asked.

"I've honestly never seen it before," the dentist said. "Though it is possible that she's just one of the few kids who eye teeth are longer than others. I'm sure it's nothing to be worried about."

Emily came out then, getting a new toothbrush and she ran up to her parents, hugging them. Hiding their concern, the two took her home, but were worried.

"Boris, what do you think is happening?" Oxana asked. "First, Emily begins liking monster food and now her eyeteeth are longer than they should be."

"Well, it's possible that the dentist was right and it's just an unusual occurrence," the male vampire said, trying to soothe his wife.

Chef Remy emerged from the kitchen. "What is the matter?" He asked, seeing his employers' faces were worried.

"Remy, do you know of any humans that have very long eyeteeth?" Oxana asked.

The skeleton was thoughtful for a moment. "No, I do not," he said gently. "Why do you ask?"

"The dentist told us Emily's eyeteeth were longer than normal," Boris answered.

Demi popped his head back in. "Did I hear someone say Emily's eyeteeth are longer than normal?" He asked.

"You did, Demi," Oxana said. "The dentist told us."

The blue ghost looked thoughtful. "I thought it was just me," he said. "But I did notice it too, but I just chalked it up to my imagination."

"Hmm. She likes the meals I cook and asks to try monster recipes and her eyeteeth are growing?" Remy asked. "Something is happening."

"But what?" Boris asked.

Demi gasped. "Could Emily…be part monster?" He asked.

"But…But she looks human," Oxana protested. "If she was part monster, wouldn't it have been obvious before now?"

"Maybe and maybe not," Remy said. "But if she is part monster, then who are her parents?"

"According to the orphanage director, her parents died in a fire," Boris said.

"But remember how she said the story she told us was a cover story before she told us the truth about her?" Oxana said. "We know the fire happened, but what if Emily's parents are still alive?"

"And if they are, where are they?" Demi asked.

"This is a puzzle," the skeleton chef admitted. "Who could tell us more about Emily?"

"We could ask the orphanage director, but she may not know," Boris said.

Oxana took a deep breath. "Alright, wait. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We should keep these things under our hats and if Emily does start having more unusual behavior, then we call in some friends to help us," she said. "Until then, not a word to Emily or Vampirina."

The others agreed to not say a word to the girls. They didn't want to upset Emily especially since it had taken the young girl nearly a year to fully settle with all the craziness that happened with the Stemwrithes and everything else.

But the big question was going through their minds at a mile a minute. What was going on? And why was Emily going through the unusual changes?

Questions, but seemly no answers at the moment.

* * *

 **Hmm. Something is happening to Emily, but what?**

 **Please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	3. New Powers

**Chapter 3: New Powers**

"Sis! Look at me!"

Vampirina was startled awake when she heard her little sister call out and she looked around to see what was going on. "Em? Where are you?" She asked.

"Up here," Emily responded.

The young vampire looked up and gasped in surprise at seeing the little girl walking on the ceiling. "I can walk on the walls and ceiling like you!" She said with a giggle.

Vampirina's shock wore off and she joined her sister, giggling as they walked around. "This is so cool!" Vampirina said. "I can teach you all kinds of tricks while walking on the ceiling."

"Like what?" Emily asked.

"Like sneaking up on Demi and Gregoria."

The two girls giggled and walked on the ceiling and walls until they were in the living room and above Gregoria, who was relaxing on the couch with Demi, who looked sleepy. Grinning, Emily took a deep breath. "Hi, Demi! Hi, Gregoria!" She cried out, giggling.

The reactions were priceless. Demi let out a cry of alarm and shot up into the air, getting stuck in the ceiling while Gregoria jumped and sunk into the couch cushions to the point that she too got stuck. Emily and Vampirina giggled at this, their giggling drawing their parents' attention.

When Oxana and Boris saw that their youngest daughter could now walk on the ceiling, their worry increased and they stepped into the hallway to speak quietly. "Boris, what is going on?" Oxana asked. "Emily has not only developed a taste for monster food and her eye teeth are longer, but she can now walk on the ceiling like us. What is going on?"

"It seems our little Emily has gained vampire powers," he said. "But…how?"

"Mommy! Daddy! Look at me!"

Turning, they gasped as they saw Emily turn into a bat and began flying around with Vampirina behind her. "I can turn into a bat now!" Emily exclaimed happily as she and Vampirina flew around, flying into the kitchen and surprising Chef Remy, who stopped in shock at seeing the two bats and recognizing the smaller one to be Emily, though he was trying to figure out how she was now a bat.

Boris and Oxana looked at each other. "There's no way around it. Something has happened to our daughter, but what?" The red-haired vampire asked.

"I don't know, my love," Boris said softly, though he was trying to come up with a reason that Emily was now becoming a vampire.

Emily was playing vampire tag with Vampirina when she heard her parents talking and saw their worried expressions. Wondering if she had done something wrong, she flew into the kitchen and transformed into her human form, landing lightly on the floor and seeing Remy was looking at a recipe for dinner that night. "Remy?" She called softly.

He turned to see her looking forlorn. "Emily? What's the matter, _chere?"_ He asked gently.

"Am I in trouble because of this?" She asked, transforming to her bat form again.

Remy was surprised once again and was trying to think of how Emily suddenly had vampire powers. "Emily, please be honest with me, _chere._ Did you mess with anything you shouldn't have been playing around with?" He asked.

The question made Emily withdraw into herself as she felt he was about to scold her and she began walking away, only to feel two bony arms gently catch her a second later. "Emily, I'm not scolding you, _chere,"_ he explained. "But I'm wondering how you've gained these powers."

Feeling a bit better, Emily looked up at him. "I haven't messed with anything I shouldn't have, at least as far as I know," she admitted. "Because I know going into the attic or basement alone is a no-no."

Chef Remy nodded and held the little girl in a gentle hug, his mind trying to figure out how she had powers. "I like having powers," the six-year-old said a moment later. "Because I can fly with my family and now be like one of them."

" _Chere,_ you've been one of us since you were adopted into this family two years ago," the skeleton said. "And don't you forget that."

Emily giggled as she felt gentle bony fingers tickle her stomach and she squirmed, laughing, but Remy had her in a secure hold. "Cootchie, cootchie, coo!" He cooed to her as she laughed before she managed to wiggle free and transform into a bat, laughing as Vampirina playfully tackled her in the air and the two began playing tag. "Be careful around the lights," the skeleton cautioned.

Emily suddenly flew towards him. "Remy! Save me!" She pleaded, going into his ribcage.

"Ah! Emily! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Remy laughed as she was unintentionally tickling him.

Vampirina giggled. "Come on, Em! Let's see who can fly the fastest!" She said.

"Okay!" Emily said happily, zipping out from Remy's ribcage, to his relief, to race her sister. Oxana and Boris, seeing their girls racing through the air, smiled and decided to join in, setting aside their worries for the moment.

The rest of the house watched as the four bats flew around, whizzing around each other and laughing as they flew. Oxana and Boris tried to catch Emily, but she was too fast and playfully tried to tackle Vampirina, who dodged and giggled.

Then the race turned into a racing along the ceiling race. Thankfully, they had no guests at this time, so this was alright, but if they had guests, then racing on the ceiling was a no-no. Emily proved to be quite fast and she loved it as they all soon ended up on a heap on the couch, laughing and trying to catch their breaths.

After that, Emily headed for the kitchen to see Remy was getting the ingredients out for dinner that night. "Remy? Can I help?" She asked sweetly.

"Of course, _chere,"_ he said with a smile. "I'm making my famous blood sausage shish kabobs."

"That sounds yummy," she said, putting on an apron. "Where do we begin?"

Smiling, the skeleton showed her how to make the shish kabobs and for the rest of the night, no worries bothered the family.

* * *

 **Hmm. Emily is gaining more and more powers. What could be going on? Next up: A family friend visits and offers support for the Hauntleys. Stay tuned! :)**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	4. Advice From A Friend

**Chapter 4: Advice From A Friend**

Oxana and Boris were in the kitchen, talking about Emily's new powers while Chef Remy was preparing a snack for the girls when they returned from school. "I spoke with the orphanage director, but she said that they received no birth certificate for Emily and no last name," the red-haired vampire said.

"It may have been lost in that awful fire she witnessed," Boris said softly.

Chef Remy sighed. "She went through things that no child should go through, especially at her young age," he said.

"Yes," Oxana said. "If only we could find out who her parents were, maybe we could get some information as to why Emily is getting vampire powers. No human gets those kind of powers without being bitten by a vampire, but...,"

"We certainly haven't done that and neither has Vampirina," Boris said. "Unless...could Emily have been bitten when she was younger?"

"But then the scar would still be present on her neck," the skeletal chef pointed out. "But...there may be other ways."

Oxana looked at him. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, one of her parents could have been a vampire, or perhaps both," Remy said thoughtfully.

"But wouldn't her powers have been born with her if that was the case?" Boris asked.

"If both parents were vampires, then I believe so," the skeleton replied. "But where she's now just getting them, maybe only one of her parents was a vampire."

"So our Emily may be half-vampire by birth?" Oxana asked.

"It's only a theory, but yes," Remy said. "Mind you, I'm just...what's the human saying...grasping at straws?"

"Still...your theory may be close to the truth," Boris said. "But we'll need to find proof of this. The question is how?"

Just then, a knock came to the door and Oxana opened it to find King Pepi on the doorstep. "Why, King Pepi!" She exclaimed, smiling brightly, holding the door open. "Welcome!"

"Thank you, Oxana," he said. "I hope you don't mind a visit from a friend."

"Oh, not at all! You're welcome to visit anytime," she said.

Boris came out. "Ah, King Pepi, it's good to see you, old friend," he said.

The three friends hugged before Oxana showed King Pepi to his room. "I had totally forgotten you had reserved a room for a few days," Oxana said sheepishly.

"It's alright," the mummy said graciously. "Though, I hope you don't mind my asking, you seemed...troubled when you opened the door."

Boris nodded. "We've...had something come up that we're trying to figure out," he admitted.

"Perhaps I can help?"

Oxana perked up a bit. "Maybe you can," she said. "It's about Emily."

King Pepi was alert. "Is she alright?" He asked, concerned.

"Yes, but...she has somehow developed vampire powers," Boris said.

The mummy blinked in surprise. "Come again?"

"Well, it started about a month ago," Oxana said. "Emily often helps Chef Remy in the kitchen and she began trying monster food and apparently liking it. At first, we thought she was just pretending so that she wouldn't hurt Remy's feelings, but then she would ask to try the monster food at dinner and she was alright eating it. She even liked Remy's blood sausages and swamp goulash."

"But that's just the beginning," Boris picked up where his wife left off. "Emily can walk on the walls and ceiling, her eyeteeth have gotten longer, something even the dentist found unusual, and she can transform into a bat and fly."

King Pepi looked thoughtful. "Hmm, a human suddenly gaining vampire powers," he said. "That is a very unusual occurrence."

"We can't figure out how she got her powers," Oxana said.

"Perhaps it's because she had been around you so much for the past two years that she's adapted to trying new things and perhaps some magic has helped her with her powers," the mummy said, looking deep in thought now.

"Is that possible?" Boris asked.

"I've never heard of it happening before, but that doesn't mean it can't happen," King Pepi said. He then looked at the two. "Has Emily come to you with any concerns about this?"

"No," replied Oxana. "But we've been helping her when she's been flying around and basically treating it as if it's natural."

"That's good," he said in approval. "If you guys treat it as normal and answer any questions she has, it will no doubt help both her and you."

"How do you mean?" Boris asked.

"Well, Emily may be reluctant to ask questions due to her past before she came to live here," the mummy said. "Therefore, she needs assurance from you two in both words and actions. Plus, she may be trying to figure things out too, as she's probably a bit confused as she's adjusting to her new powers, which means she's going to need to know that you two love her no matter what as she goes through a big change in her life."

"You're right," Oxana agreed. "And we've been doing our best to show Emily she can come to us about anything and she has caught on fairly fast with her powers, though she does struggle a little with them."

"Reminds me of when Vampirina first began using her powers," Boris said with a gentle smile. "She struggled for a little bit with them too."

King Pepi smiled. "Sounds like you guys are on the right track," he said. "I'll check some books and scrolls in my personal library at the museum and let you know what I find too. It might be a bit though. The museum had some thieves break in the other night and they tried to steal some artifacts."

Oxana gasped. "Did they succeed?" She asked worriedly.

The mummy chuckled. "Almost, except they saw something that spooked them and made them go stiff with fear," he said, smirking. "The police didn't believe them about a mummy coming to life."

Boris and Oxana laughed along with King Pepi. While they didn't like scaring humans normally, if it was to protect their homes or stop thieves, then they gladly did that. "I bet that made it easier for the police to apprehend them," Boris said.

King Pepi laughed again. "They were actually begging the police to lock them up," he said. "Apparently they were more afraid of a mummy than being sent to prison."

"Mama! Papa! We're home!" Vampirina's voice rang through the house.

"Oh, sounds like our little Vee and Emily are home," Oxana said and listened. "Sounds like Poppy and Bridget are with them too."

"Ah, yes," Boris said. "I think the girls are having a sleepover as it's the weekend."

The three went downstairs and greeted the girls. Poppy and Bridget were ecstatic to see King Pepi again and hugged him and Vampirina and Emily also hugged him, happy to see him and the youngest girl hung back as the older girls headed for the kitchen where Oxana said Chef Remy had snacks for them.

The mummy noticed Emily hung back and he smiled, picking her up. "I hear my youngest niece has powers," he said.

She nodded, smiling brightly before turning into a bat and flying around, making him chuckle before she turned back and he caught her as she fell down towards him. "I love having powers," she said.

"It looks like you're catching on pretty quick too," he said. "Are you practicing?"

She nodded again. "Mommy, Daddy, and Vee have been helping me," she said before she looked worried. "Uncle Pepi, you still like me, right?"

The question surprised him. "Of course," he said instantly. "You're my niece. Why wouldn't...,"

He then understood and hugged her reassuringly. "Emily, you're my niece, no matter what. Nothing's going to change that."

She hugged him back, feeling better at the reassurances before going to join her sister and friends in the kitchen. Oxana and Boris looked at each other, realizing Emily was afraid that her having powers would change things. "It won't change a thing," Boris said to his wife.

"No, it won't," she agreed. "And we'll keep reassuring our little Emily of that."

King Pepi nodded approvingly, making a mental note to see about searching the museum archives for any books or scrolls about vampires when the museum opened back up again.

* * *

 **I just had to include King Pepi again. :)**

 **Next chapter: The Hauntleys call a human friend who has monster friends to help them find out why Emily is getting powers, but there's more trouble when something happens with Emily's powers. What will happen? Stay tuned to find out! :)**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	5. Batty At School

**Chapter 5: Batty At School**

Vampirina and Emily woke up the next day, ready for school. "I hope Mr. Gore gives us a multiplication test," Emily said. She liked multiplication and found it to be fun to do.

"I think he will," Vampirina said. "Along with a division test."

Giggling, the girls got ready with Vampirina wearing her usual black dress and pink shirt and Emily choosing a purple shirt and purple jeans, which was an outfit that Chef Remy had given to her for Christmas the year before. Grabbing their backpacks, they raced downstairs to the kitchen where Remy smiled as he presented their breakfast of ghost pancakes with boo-berries and orange juice. "Eat up, little ones," he said. "Got to have energy to do those tests."

The girls dug into the food and quizzed each other for the test. "Five times twenty," Vampirina said.

"A hundred," Emily answered. "Twenty-four divided by three."

"Eight," the blue-skinned girl responded.

Remy smiled. "Eight times twelve," he said.

"Ninety-six," said Emily.

"Very good, _chere!"_ He said proudly. "One-hundred divided by twenty."

"Five," Vampirina said with a proud smile.

"Yes! Excellent, _chere!"_ The skeleton chef was very proud of the girls. "You both will do wonderful on your tests."

The doorbell ran and Poppy and Bridget were there, ready to go to school with their friends. "Bye, Chef!" Poppy called out.

"Have a good day in school, little ones," he said as Bridget hugged him and he returned the hug. "And let me know if those bullies bug you or the other girls," he said softly to her.

"Will do," she promised with a smile and followed the others.

Upstairs, King Pepi was going over some books and scrolls. The museum was going to be closed for a couple months from what he had heard and so he had slipped in and grabbed some books and scrolls, bringing them back to the Scare B&B to study them, taking notes. "Hmm, these two only talk about how vampires lived," he said, putting aside a book and a scroll and pouring over the others ones, but found nothing very helpful. Oxana helped him return the books and scrolls and look at more in the museum. Both were very quiet as they didn't want to alert the security guard.

"Pepi?" Oxana asked.

"Sorry, Oxana, none of these have much except about what vampires did back in the day and how they bit others to make them vampires," he said apologetically. "I can't find anything else, but I'll keep looking around. I'm afraid we've used all the resources here at the library."

She sighed and nodded. "It was a good try at least," she admitted.

They had just gotten back to the Scare B&B when Chef Remy greeted them at the door. " _Madame,_ the principal of Vampirina and Emily's school called. Something is wrong," he said.

The vampire woman grew panicked. "Where is she now?" She asked.

"Still at school, but I think you and your _amor_ should go get her and Vampirina. Quickly," he said urgently.

Oxana found Boris working on fixing a door that wasn't creaking, but when he heard that something was wrong with Emily, he set down his tools and the two ran to the school. Mr. Gore met them outside his classroom with Vampirina beside him. "Mama! Papa!" Vee said, racing to them. "It's Emily! She turned into a bat and she can't change back!"

"Oh, no!" Oxana gasped. "Where is she now?"

"Safe in the principal's office," Mr. Gore said calmly. "She got scared as did the other students, especially when she tried to get out and her other powers started going out of control."

Having been around the Hauntleys, Mr. Gore knew that they were vampires, but that they were kind and he kept their secret and even helped Emily out when she needed it. The four moved towards the principal's office where the secretary, a woman in her seventies, was holding Emily, who was still in her bat form, in her hands. She glanced up when she saw them. "Emily, your parents are here," she said in a kind voice.

Emily flew to her parents. "Mommy! Daddy!" She cried out, crying a little.

Oxana used a bit of moon dust she had with her and sprinkled it on Emily, which helped the young girl transform back to her human form. Still frightened, the little one clung to her mother, refusing to let go. "I'm so sorry," she said to Mr. Gore.

"It's alright," he said kindly. "It's no one's fault. I had noticed that Emily was running faster like Vampirina, but I wasn't sure if it was just because she had been practicing or something else."

"Looks like she's gaining powers," the secretary said.

"That's what been happening, but we can't figure out why," Boris admitted.

Mr. Gore didn't hold it against them. "Well, why don't we have Emily do her schoolwork at home until her powers calm down?" He said gently. "I can give Emily's homework to Vampirina and Vampirina can bring it back to me as Emily finishes it."

"I think that's a good idea," the secretary said as she took out a green slip and wrote something on it, giving it to the Hauntleys. "Keep that green slip with you. It's an official excuse from the school saying that Emily is unable to attend classes due to unforeseen circumstances, but is still doing schoolwork as brought to her by her big sister. If the police come asking why Emily isn't in school, show that green slip to them and call me immediately and I'll vouch for it."

"Thank you for your kindness," Oxana said gratefully.

"I'll make sure to collect my sister's homework," Vampirina promised.

"Alright," Mr. Gore said. "For now, Emily is excused from school for the rest of the day. Vampirina, you may go home too if you want."

"Thank you, Mr. Gore, but I think I'll stay," she said.

"Are you sure, Vee?" Boris asked his older daughter.

"I'm sure, Papa," she said certainly.

Oxana and Boris took Emily home, but were now worried. Their youngest daughter was having a hard time with these changes. "Boris, what will we do?" Oxana asked.

"Why don't you get Emily settled and I'll call a friend of ours?" He suggested.

When they arrived and Chef Remy heard what happened, he instantly got a plate of warm cookies and a warm glass of milk ready for Emily and Oxana got the little girl comfortable on the couch while Boris placed a call to someone who promised to be there in a flash. A moment later, a knock came to the door and Boris opened it to find a human standing there. "Ah, Rachel, please come in," he said.

She entered. "How is she?" She asked in concern.

"A little better, but we're worried that her powers are getting out of hand," he admitted, leading her to the living room. Oxana looked and gasped in surprise.

"Why, Rachel!" She greeted in surprise before hugging her. "It's good to see you again."

"Good to see you too, Oxana," Rachel replied before seeing Emily. "Is this Emily?"

"Yes."

Rachel kneeled down beside the little girl. "Hello, Emily," she said, her voice gentle. "How are you doing?"

"Not so good," Emily replied. "I...I can't control my powers."

"Powers?"

"Yeah," the little girl said and then went on to explain what she meant.

To the visiting woman's credit, she listened and looked thoughtful once Emily told her everything. "That is rather unusual," she said. "I've never heard of a human gaining powers suddenly, at least not without something affecting her."

"But she hasn't been exposed to anything and we haven't bit her," Boris said.

"There might be other ways," Rachel said thoughtfully. "After all, not everything that is told about monsters is true. The monsters I am friends with and live with have proved that to me."

It was true. Rachel lived with some kind monsters under her roof and they were good friends of hers and had introduced her to other kind monsters, giving her a chance to see that not all monsters were bad and some were just misunderstood.

"Can you perhaps help us figure out what's going on with our Emily?" Oxana asked.

The older woman nodded. "Let me get in touch with some friends and I'll get back to you," she said before pausing. "Though, out of curiosity, does Emily have vampire DNA in her?"

"We're not sure," Boris admitted. "Since she came from the orphanage and the orphanage director said there was no records with Emily when she arrived."

Curiosity took the woman over again. "I'll do some digging," she said, meaning she'd do some research. "Is Emily's teacher aware about this?"

"Yes," Oxana said. "And he understands, thankfully."

Rachel nodded. "Okay," she said. "I'll let you know what I find."

With that, she headed out to help solve the puzzle while Oxana and Boris stayed by Emily, holding the little girl comfortingly as they too tried to figure out what was going on as the same questions they had were not producing any answers yet.

* * *

 **Hmm, what will Rachel find? And will they get answers to their questions, or will more questions arise? Stay tuned to find out! :)**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	6. Unexpected Find

**Chapter 6: Unexpected Find**

"I know the Hauntleys. They can scare off intruders without biting them," Rachel said to a vampire and skeleton that were in front of her. "They don't want to turn anyone into vampires."

"And their youngest daughter has somehow gained powers like walking on walls and the ceiling and can transform into a bat?" The vampire asked. "Most interesting."

"How can a human child gain such powers without being bit by a vampire?" The skeleton asked.

"That's what we've got to find out," Rachel said. "Count Noir, do you have any books about vampires and how they gain powers?"

"I do," he replied. "My library is very extensive and includes history on all the monsters."

The young woman blinked. "All the monsters?" She asked.

"Yes," the skeleton, Bonetop, said. "To ensure our histories would be safe in case something happened to us, many of us asked Count Noir to protect our stories."

A mummy came into view. "With all the times we've been chased and tormented by ill-meaning humans, Count Noir's library was the best place to hide our stories," he said. "Especially those that wanted to denounce those stories and spread rumors about us peaceful monsters hunting humans."

"But Sol, you guys don't do that," Rachel said. "I mean, you guys hunted me down after I discovered you all by mistake, but you didn't harm me."

"Ah, but you thought we would at first until your uncle cleared up the misunderstanding," Count Noir said gently.

"You screamed loud enough to make my bones rattle," Bonetop said jokingly, which made them chuckle and the young woman look sheepish.

"Even then, it took you a bit to get used to us, Rachel," Sol said, his voice gentle.

Footsteps sounded and they turned to find Rosco, a Frankenstein-like monsters who spoke very little, come into the room. He preferred actions over words and despite his startling appearance, he was really a gentle giant, something he had proven to Rachel when he had rescued her from her ex-boyfriend. He now held up a book and placed it gently in Rachel's hands. She looked at the title.

"'Don't Always Believe What You Hear'," she read the title aloud and looked at Rosco, whose brown eyes were giving her an urgent look. "This book has more legends?"

He nodded. "All true," he said, lightly tapping the book. "Monsters not all cruel."

She smiled and patted his arm. "Of course they aren't, big guy," she said placatingly.

Count Noir smiled. "Let me look in my library and let you know what I find," he said.

"I'll help, Count," Bonetop said.

"I'll help you, Rachel," Sol said.

With the mummy's help, the young woman scanned the stories in the book, finding legends that made her pause and look a bit more closely. "'The Mummy That Defended A Town'?" She repeated the title of the legend.

"Ah, that is a popular one among the monsters, especially mummies," Sol said. "It was a mummy who stopped some pranksters from giving the mud monster a bad name."

Rachel read it. "Many humans said the mud monster would kidnap children and they would never be seen again, but this was often denounced that the parents would place the children by the muddy swamp to make up the story of them being kidnapped?" She read incredulously. "Man, some of these people were really paranoid, huh?"

"And that was the least of it," her mummy friend said.

They continued browsing until coming upon a legend that made them look twice. "Hey," the young woman said. "This one looks like it's about vampires."

As they read it, the legend sparked a new idea for them and they read it more closely. "Is this possible, Sol?" Rachel asked. "Could this be how a human child could gain vampire powers?"

Sol looked thoughtful. "That was actually a story to scare some of us," he said. "You see, some of our kind had befriended a few humans who understood us, but they were few and far between. According to this legend, any humans who knew about monsters became a monster themselves, be it a vampire, mummy, whatever."

"But...I've known about you guys for about five years now and I haven't become a monster," she protested. "You guys haven't made me touch anything cursed, tortured me, or bitten me."

"That's why I believe that legend is mostly bogus," Count Noir said, coming in. "But I did find something else."

Rachel looked at the story the Count pointed out about how if a human baby came in contact with Dracula, then some of Dracula's power could be transferred to the infant, who could develop those powers at any time. "That's an interesting theory," she said. "But Emily hasn't met Dracula, as least not as far as we know, and she was four years old when the Hauntleys adopted her."

"And she's been with them for two years," Bonetop said. "And like Rachel pointed out, they're not ones to bite humans."

"Guess we're kind of back to square one then, as I've heard our host say," Sol said.

"More to legend," Rosco said, lightly tapping both books.

"I agree," Rachel said. "If we could just figure it out, then maybe we can get the Hauntleys, especially Emily, some answers."

A howl echoed in the room and out came Houndtooth, the werewolf who also lived with them. He gave a few growls and Count Noir's eyes widened. "Of course," he said. "Houndtooth is right."

"What did he say, Count?" Bonetop asked.

"Well, it could be possible that Emily has something given to her by Dracula long ago," he said. "But if that were true, then another monsters would have had to give Emily a gift too."

"Which monster?" Rachel asked.

"Any monsters, to be honest," the Count explained. "Could Emily have had an encounter with other monsters when she was little?"

"That's a question we're all asking," the young woman said. "Count Noir, I hate to ask this, but may I see the stories about the legends about monsters that humans have told?"

He graciously allowed it and Rachel poured over the stories, coming up with the usual stories about a vampire biting its victims to make them vampires or hurting people. "But why would the Hauntleys do that to Emily?" She asked. "I just don't think they did."

"Is that your gut instinct?" Sol asked.

"Yes," she replied.

Houndtooth gave a friendly growl and gently nudged her leg, making her look at him and his eyes looked at her intently. "You're saying to go with my gut instinct, aren't you?" She asked.

He nodded, his tail wagging. "Okay, then," she said. "I need to make a call."

Oxana answered her phone at seeing Rachel was calling. "Hello, Rachel," she said. "Have you found anything?"

"Honestly, just a few more theories and a lot more questions," the young woman said. "Speaking of questions, just curious. Have you had any monsters guests lately?"

"Just one, but he's a good family friend," she said.

"What kind of monster is he?"

"A mummy," Oxana replied. "The rest of our guests have been human."

Rachel nodded. "Okay, I'll keep researching," she said. "By the way, how is Emily?"

"She's doing better, thank you," the lady vampire said before they signed off. Rachel sighed and continued pouring over the books until she spotted one that seemed to coincide with what Houndtooth suggested earlier.

"Hey, listen to this," she said to her monster friends. "Dracula often looked for humans who were open-minded and would keep a secret and many times these humans offered their homes to be a refuge for the persecuted monsters. To ensure their safety, Dracula would often give them a gift to not only protect them, but to show other monsters that the humans had Dracula's blessing. Dracula always had a friend who would witness this and who would also give the humans a gift with Dracula witnessing. This not only proved unity, but also trust. The humans given these gifts never broke that trust and the gifts were always given to the true open-minded humans as Dracula is very picky about who he trusts."

She looked up at Count Noir, who nodded. "That's exactly what Houndtooth was saying earlier and it's true about Dracula being picky about who he trusts," he said.

Rachel nodded, gathering her notes. "I'm going to go find a friend," she said. "And then I'm going to head back to see the Hauntleys."

"Be careful, Rachel," Bonetop said. "I fear for your safety and for the Hauntleys' safety, especially Emily."

"Why?" She asked curiously, knowing her friends never expressed fear unless it was very serious.

"If someone who cannot be trusted knows that Emily has gained vampire powers and/or has had contact with monsters, then she is in grave danger," Sol said.

"Cautious," Rosco said urgently and Houndtooth growled in agreement.

Rachel nodded. "I'll be careful," she promised. "And let's hope Emily is not in danger."

Though deep down, she believed the little girl was in danger until they got to the bottom of what was happening.

* * *

King Pepi was at the Scare B&B when someone entered his window and landed lightly on the floor. He jumped up, but then saw a face he hadn't seen in a while. "Rachel?" He asked curiously.

She glanced up, her eyes wide. "King Pepi?" She asked in surprise. She knew about him because he had helped a relative of hers long ago and was good friends with her uncle. The two embraced and quickly brought each other up to speed about their findings.

"Your friends may be right," he said. "But we need to dig a little more before we're absolutely sure."

"I agree," she said. "But the legend Houndtooth spoke about. It's the only one that makes the most sense right now."

"I agree that it does," he said. "Which means Emily may be in danger."

Rachel now felt worry fill her. "We need to tell the Hauntleys," she said. "Even if we're not overly sure, they need to now that we may have an answer."

Nodding, King Pepi led the way downstairs to where the Hauntley family was, but what they didn't know was that danger had found them all faster than they anticipated.

* * *

 **Oh, boy! What could have happened? Stay tuned to find out! :)**

 **Houndtooth (werewolf), Rosco (Frankenstein monster), Sol (mummy: "Sol" is Spanish for "Sun"), Bonetop (skeleton), and Count Noir (vampire) all belong to me and are my creations.**

 **Please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	7. Horrifying Call

**Chapter 7: Horrifying Call**

Rachel and King Pepi had just arrived downstairs when Emily sat up sharply and was panting as if she was out of breath. "Emily, what's wrong?" Boris asked, placing a gentle hand on his youngest daughter's head.

The little girl looked at him. "I heard them," she whimpered. "I heard them."

"Heard who?" Oxana asked gently. "Who did you hear Emily?"

"Them," the little girl said urgently. "My...My former adoptive parents."

King Pepi gasped. "The Stemwrithes?" He asked. "But I thought they were in prison."

"Emily, where do you hear them?" Rachel asked.

She looked at the older woman. "I...I don't know," she said. "I can just hear them, like they're close, but I don't know where from."

Having learned from Count Noir that vampires have very sensitive hearing, Rachel decided that this couldn't be overlooked and was about to call the police when the phone to the Scare B&B rang and Oxana answered it. "Hello?" She said.

"Mrs. Hauntley, it's the police captain," said the person on the other end. "Is Emily with you at home?"

"Yes, she is," Oxana replied.

The police captain sighed in relief, but then his voice grew urgent. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but the Stemwrithes have escaped prison," he said. "And they're hunting for Emily."

The female vampire let out a horrified gasp, making everyone look at her and she looked at them. "The Stemwrithes have escaped prison," she said to them before returning her attention to the phone. "Where are they now?" She asked.

"We're currently trying to find their whereabouts, but here's the bigger trouble: they're looking for someone to kidnap Emily," the captain said. "They told an informant who posed as a possible person who could do a kidnapping and the informant called us, which led us to immediately calling you."

Oxana sank into a chair. "And the Stemwrithes know where we live," she said softly.

"Maybe not," King Pepi said softly. "I did use my powers to stop them last time and made them forget for everyone's safety."

"But that doesn't mean they won't find this place again," Rachel said.

Boris looked worried as he held Emily, who was clinging to him. "What do we do?" He asked.

The police captain sounded grim. "I suggest you all find a place to stay and hide," he said. "The Stemwrithes have gotten more dangerous if they are resorting to finding someone to kidnap Emily."

Oxana nodded and signed off, tears in her eyes. "But where can we go?" She asked.

Rachel placed a hand on Oxana's shoulder. "Oxana, why don't all of you come stay with me until the Stemwrithes are caught?" She said. "My uncle's place is huge."

"I think that might be our best choice, my love," Boris said.

Oxana looked crushed. "I'd hate to close down the B&B for a while," she said before taking a deep breath. "But for Emily's sake, I'll do it."

* * *

Rachel called her uncle to let him know they were having visitors and he was very welcoming to the idea, letting her know that he and the monsters would get the guest rooms ready. King Pepi and the Hauntleys packed up a few bags while Chef Remy, Demi, and Gregoria promised to keep the house safe and hugged Emily, who hugged them back. "Don't worry, _chere,"_ Remy said gently. "Hopefully, it'll all be over soon."

"And you'll be home before you know it," Demi said, trying to perk up Emily's spirits.

"We'll see you soon," Gregoria said with a smile.

It wasn't long before they were on a private plane headed for California as Rachel had taken the private plane from her home to the Scare B&B. Bonetop, who was an excellent pilot, drove the plan with Rachel beside him in the co-pilot seat while the Hauntleys and King Pepi were sitting in the back. Emily was clinging to her mother, who held her comfortingly.

Bonetop smiled as he glanced out the window. "Ah, we're almost there," he said. "About another fifteen minutes."

"That fast?" Boris asked.

Rachel smiled. "Count Noir and my uncle Joseph built this plane themselves and made it very fast, fast as a vampire," she said. "Which is great when you have to get somewhere fast on short notice."

"But don't the human air traffic controllers know about this plane?" Oxana asked.

Bonetop grinned. "Nope," he said. "It's too fast for them to pick up and we keep a very close eye on other aircraft so we don't hit them."

As he was speaking, they made it to the mansion where Rachel lived and landed in the backyard, which was spacious enough to fit an entire airport and at least seven mansions. And the mansion itself was huge.

"Wow!" Vampirina said. "Does your uncle really own this place?"

"He does," Rachel said. "From what he told me, the mansion and the land have been passed down for generations, starting with my grandfather eight times removed."

"Yes," Bonetop said. "And we've been with the family for about that long too."

"Really?" King Pepi asked.

"Yes," Rachel said. "Ever since they met and helped my grandfather seven times removed."

She led the way inside to where they met with a man in his forties who had slightly graying hair, but a warm smile. "Everyone, this is my uncle Joseph," the young woman said. "Uncle Joseph, these are the Hauntleys and their friend, King Pepi."

"Welcome," Joseph said warmly. "I'm honored to have you all here."

"Thank you for having us," Boris said as four other monsters came out.

"Count Noir, Rosco, Sol, and Houndtooth," Rachel introduced.

The monsters welcomed the Hauntleys warmly and showed them to their rooms. Emily was a bit unsure, but Houndtooth won her over fast by acting more like a dog, making her giggle while Sol, Count Noir, and Rosco played with the young girl and Vampirina, who was excited to meet new monsters.

While the monsters and kids were playing, Oxana and Boris, along with Rachel, Joseph, and King Pepi were discussing what information they had found that could possibly answer the question as to why Emily had powers. "Several theories came up," Rachel said. "One was of course being bitten by a vampire, but another was just becoming the monster you had had contact with, along with a baby being near Dracula and gaining some of his powers, and last but not least, Dracula and another monster giving a family who they trusted and who offered them refuge from their persecutors a gift of sorts. This gift not only protected the family, but showed other monsters that the family had Dracula's blessing."

"What theory is most likely?" Joseph asked.

"Well, we know Oxana and Boris didn't bite Emily," King Pepi said.

"And I've been in contact with monsters, but haven't become one," Rachel said.

"Emily could have come in contact with Dracula as an infant or her family could have known Dracula and opened their home as refuge to him and the other monsters," the mummy continued. "These two seem to be the most likely theories, though I think the latter theory is more spot on."

"But we haven't had Dracula to our home since we adopted Emily," Oxana said.

"So perhaps Emily's birth parents had contact with Dracula before the awful fire?" Boris asked.

"Who were Emily's birth parents?" Rachel asked.

No one knew, not even Emily, so Rachel called up a friend. "Hey, Loch," she said.

"Ah, Rachel," he replied. "What can a simple plant monster like myself do for you?"

Loch was a plant monster who was big on conserving nature and animals, but mostly kept nature and the changing human world in check. He was also a writer and reader and knew pretty much anything about everyone. Rachel filled him in on the situation and he promised to call back, which he did moments later.

"I only found one thing, but maybe you can make sense of it," he said.

"What did you find?" She asked.

The words Loch spoke were ones she never would have anticipated.

"Look for vampire mummy."

* * *

 **Cliffhanger! What does the clue mean? Stay tuned to find out! :)**

 **Loch and Joseph belong to me.**

 **Please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	8. The Riddle

**Chapter 8: The Riddle**

Rachel thanked Loch and signed off, though was puzzled by the words he had told her. "Look for vampire mummy," she repeated.

"What?" King Pepi asked.

She looked at them. "Loch said that was all he found and thought maybe we could make sense of it," she said. "Look for vampire mummy."

"What is a vampire mummy?" Oxana asked, having never heard of such a thing.

"It's a riddle," King Pepi said after a moment, recalling how clues were sometimes hidden in sentences that made no sense. "It's referring to how Dracula and the Mummy were friends and have been friends for years and generations."

Rachel perked up. "Remember when I asked if Emily had vampire DNA in her?" She asked. They nodded and she pulled out her computer and began typing like crazy, searching for an answer.

After about ten minutes, she shook her head, indicating she hadn't found anything useful until she suddenly paused and her eyes widened. "Wait a minute," she said, typing the riddle onto her computer. "Look for vampire mummy."

She looked more closely at the clue now that it was typed in front of her and she got a piece of paper and began writing. "E from vampire, M from mummy, I from vampire, L from look, and Y from mummy," she said to herself before she gasped as the answer hit her. "That must be it!"

"What?" Boris asked curiously.

"Look for vampire mummy," Rachel said. "Emily's name is in that sentence. Look."

She showed them and they were surprised. "Emily must have something that can answer our questions."

"But what would she have that could do so?" Oxana asked. "She's never met Dracula or the Mummy."

"Maybe not in the time since you've adopted her, Oxana, but perhaps before she was an orphan," King Pepi said gently. "We need to ask Emily."

Sol came in, drinks in on a tray and passed them around. "Thank you, Sol," Rachel said, smiling up at the mummy who was really a sweetheart under all the bandages.

"I thought it might perk you all up since you all looked so serious in here," he said. "Any luck?"

"Just perhaps Emily might have something that can answer our questions," Boris said.

"Let me go find Count Noir," Sol said. "Perhaps he can shed some light on the situation."

Rachel chuckled at the mummy's unintentional play on words and he gave her a confused look before realizing what he had said and laughed too. "I mean clear things up," he said in a playful tone, poking Rachel's side playfully before heading out to find the Count.

Oxana noticed something. "Rachel, it seems you and the monsters that live here have a very close bond," she said thoughtfully.

"We do," the girl replied. "I accidentally found out about them five years ago and was terrified of them until Uncle Joseph told me about them and that they were friends of the family. Even then, it took me a bit to get used to them being here."

"And now she runs towards us instead of away," came Count Noir's voice as he came in and playfully swooped down towards Rachel, who laughed and playfully fended him off.

"Back, you scoundrel!" She said, a big smile on her face.

"You shall not escape me, fair maiden," he said playfully, his voice deep and making the guests laugh in amusement as both he and Rachel also laughed before she hugged him.

"But in all seriousness, can you perhaps clear something up for us, Count?" The girl asked.

"I'll do my best," he said.

They brought him up to date on what they found out and how the clue 'look for vampire mummy' held Emily's name. "That is an unusual clue," he admitted. "But perhaps Emily's parents did that to confuse people who were looking to harm Dracula."

"But does it mean that Emily would have something that might give us a clue as to why she has vampire powers?" King Pepi said. "As far as we know, she doesn't have vampire DNA in her and she hasn't been bitten by a vampire."

"And no clue if Emily's birth parents knew Dracula personally?" Count Noir asked.

They all shook their heads. "Then that is a puzzle with more questions than answers," he said. "If only we had solid proof that either Emily or her birth parents knew about Dracula or were at least acquaintances with him."

"Which means we probably need to ask Emily," Oxana said. "But...what if it brings up bad memories for her?"

"I'm afraid we have to take that chance, my love," Boris said.

"We don't have to ask Emily about her past before she came to live with you," Rachel reassured. "Just if she recalls anything from the time with her birth parents."

Vampirina and Emily suddenly came in, giggling as they tried to outwit Bonetop, Sol, and Houndtooth, but the three caught them, making the two girls laugh. "You two are certainly quick with your powers," Bonetop said with a grin.

Emily giggled. "My family's been helping me practice a lot," she said.

The others smiled. "Emily," Rachel said, getting the little girl's attention. "Can we ask you something?"

The little girl nodded and Sol gently put her down, to which Oxana motioned her over and picked up her youngest daughter. "Emily, do you recall meeting Dracula when you were little? With your birth parents?" She asked.

The little girl suddenly looked pensive, but not in a way that suggested a flashback. "Why?" She asked guardedly.

"Well, we need to figure out why you have vampire powers, little one," Boris said. "We have some theories, but we need to know for sure."

Emily looked unsure, which they all noticed. "Emily, you're not in trouble," Count Noir said gently. "We just need to know. Can you tell us, please?"

She looked up and again looked nervous. "I promised," she said softly.

"Promised what, Emily?" King Pepi asked.

"That I wouldn't tell anyone," she said. "Not after...the fire."

They all looked confused. "Emily, what are you talking about, sweetie?" Rachel asked.

The little girl gently slid off her mother's lap. "I'll be right back," she said and went upstairs to her room where she was staying in the house, coming downstairs a bit later and carrying something in her hands. She trembled a little, to which Bonetop came over and picked her up, carrying her to the living room where everyone was waiting.

"Em, what is it?" Vampirina asked curiously.

Emily took a deep breath. "I was given this," she said, holding up the box. "I was told never to let anyone else know about it."

King Pepi held a hand out. "May I?" He asked gently.

Trusting him, Emily handed him the box and he looked at it, noting the seal. "It has both the seal for vampires and mummies," he said.

"What's inside?" Oxana asked.

"I don't know," Emily answered. "I never opened it."

Pepi opened it very carefully and inside was a gold Celtic cross. Count Noir gasped. "A symbol of protection," he said. "Dracula used those crosses as symbols of protection as well as friendship."

"Emily, who gave this to you?" Boris asked.

"My birth parents," she replied.

"Which means they must have know both the Mummy and Dracula," Rachel said.

"How?" Oxana asked.

"Good question," the girl replied, pulling up her laptop. "Time for more research."

* * *

 **So, looks like perhaps Emily's birth parents knew about monsters, but how? Will they find out? Stay tuned for the next chapter! :)**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	9. Surprising Answers

**Chapter 9: Surprising Answers**

Rachel was starting to get frustrated as her research wasn't coming up with anything that could give them answers. She searched again and something popped up that caught her eye. "What's this?" She asked no one in particular and read up on what she found, her eyes widening as she felt relief that she might have found something. "Hey, listen to this."

They gathered around and she began reading what she had found. "Dracula not only had certain humans he trusted to provide him and the other monsters protection when they were being hunted by their prosecutors, but he also had human friends who helped him and the others when they were trying to escape the hunters. These humans not only hid Dracula, but helped him get to 'safe houses' with the other monsters, where they could hide until it was safe for them to either return home or find a new home.

"Though more humans are understanding nowadays, Dracula is still very careful of what humans he trusts and at the first sign of betrayal, he deals out a very harsh punishment to that person. Thankfully, such a betrayal only happened once and Dracula still kept contact with the humans he trusted and a betrayal never happened again. If it does, then all the humans that Dracula trusts may be in grave danger."

She looked up. "If a betrayal occurred, it would make Dracula question whether or not the ones who helped could be trusted."

"That's not good," Count Noir said softly.

"You'd think all humans would be accepting of us in today's world of accepting everyone for who they are," Sol said.

"Yeah, but unfortunately, not everyone believes in that, Sol," Bonetop said gently.

"Sad, but true," Rachel agreed sadly.

Rosco suddenly came over and pointed at Emily. "Parents. Friends of Dracula. Helped Dracula hide and find new home," he said.

"The big guy's got a point," Count Noir said.

"Which might explain why Emily was given that box and the necklace, right?" Oxana asked.

"But doesn't explain her vampire powers," Boris said.

"But what if Emily was around Dracula when she was little and he befriend her birth parents?" Rachel asked.

"That just may be the answer," King Pepi said. "You know, there is a ruby on my sarcophagus and I guard it fiercely. It was given to my family years ago and legend says those who touch it will have their memories played before their eyes."

He paused. "Maybe if Emily touches the ruby, it can reveal who her parents were and why she's getting vampire powers."

"But your sarcophagus is all the way back in Pennsylvania," Oxana said in concern.

"That's where Bonetop and I come in," Rachel said. "Bonetop and I can fly King Pepi and Emily back to Pennsylvania to have her touch that ruby and we can hopefully get some answers for you all."

Though both Boris and Oxana were worried, both agreed that Emily should go with Pepi, Bonetop, and Rachel. The skeleton got his plane ready and they were soon off, flying back fast to Pennsylvania. "I really hope this works, Pepi," the older girl said.

"Believe me, I hope so too," he admitted, holding Emily as she was sitting in his lap. The little girl hugged him and he returned the hug, humming softly to comfort her. They soon landed in Pennsylvania and Rachel rented a car, which was ready thanks to her uncle, and as soon as King Pepi and Emily were buckled up, the older girl headed straight for the museum, pulling up out front and looking up at the front of the vast museum.

"Okay," she said. "Let's go in."

King Pepi snuck in while Rachel went up to the counter, pretending she was there to explore the vast museum and introducing Emily as her niece, who she was babysitting for the day. The clerk found it sweet and gave them a map, which Rachel thanked her for graciously and Emily gave a shy wave as they headed down the hallway, finding King Pepi motioning to them and they followed as he led the way. Not long after, they made it to the Egyptian wing and there was Pepi's sarcophagus and he opened it to reveal a ruby hidden on the casket lid. "This is it," he said softly.

Rachel nodded. "Okay, Emily," she said. "Let's hope this can give us the answers we're all looking for."

The little girl nodded and carefully touched the ruby and before their eyes, memories began to play out before them in like a holographic projection.

" _Oh, our little Emily,"_ came a soft voice before the voice gasped as a tall, caped figure and a bandaged figure stood there. Their faces were...unreadable, but no trace of hostility was in their faces or gaze.

" _We've been watching you and your family,"_ came a very familiar voice.

"Dracula," Rachel whispered softly.

" _What can we do for you?"_ A lady's voice asked.

" _Give us a safe haven and a way to escape later, please."_

The memories went on in bits and pieces and it was like a home movie playing before their eyes.

" _Ah-ha!"_ Dracula said playfully, catching little Emily and making her giggle. _"Try to hide in my cape, hmm, my little niece?"_

The Mummy chuckled. _"She's quick,"_ he said. _"I think she's getting her speed from you, old friend."_

" _I believe you're right. Babies and young ones who are in my presence long enough do gain vampire powers."_

" _Let's just hope our enemies don't come after her."_

" _If they do, they will answer to a very angry Prince of Darkness,"_ Dracula said fiercely.

" _And an equally angry mummy,"_ the Mummy said in agreement.

Another memory began playing and they watched as Dracula gave Emily's birth parents the box containing the gold Celtic cross. _"You have helped us out so much, my dear friends. Therefore, in gratitude, I present this to your daughter."_

Emily's birth parents accepted it. _"Thank you, Dracula,"_ the mother said.

" _You told us Emily has vampire powers. When will we know if they surface?"_ The father asked.

" _There might be changes that are hard to explain and if that is the case, then that will be a sign that her vampire powers have kicked in,"_ Dracula said. _"But this must remain a secret."_

They nodded and then the memory of the fire played, to which Rachel gently took Emily's hand off the ruby and the young girl blinked, looking up at her. "So, Dracula was my uncle?" She asked.

"Looks like your birth parents accepted him into the family like a brother," Rachel said.

"So now we know that your powers came from your adopted uncle, Dracula," King Pepi said. "And the Mummy was there with Dracula when he gave that box and the necklace to your parents."

"It coincides with the legends of Dracula having human friends and of a baby gaining vampire powers from being around Dracula," the older girl said.

"I wonder why the fire happened though?" The mummy king said. "We know those people set it, but why? Dracula and the Mummy weren't there."

"But aren't the people that hunted monsters gone?" Emily asked.

"She's right," Rachel said before a horrible thought struck her. "What if...oh, no."

"What?" King Pepi asked.

"Pepi, what if...what if the Stemwrithes set the fire so that Emily would become an orphan so they could adopt her because...they somehow learned about her powers?"

Before he could offer an answer, the museum alarm went off, echoing through the rooms as the security gates came down and the three turned to face two people they hoped to never see: the Stemwrithes.

* * *

 **Uh-oh! Looks like the Stemwrithes have found Emily again, but will they get her back? Or will someone put a dent in their plans? Stay tuned for the next chapter! :)**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	10. Face Off

**Chapter 10: Face Off**

Rachel and King Pepi stood firm with Emily behind them as they glared at the couple that had made the young girl's earlier years awful. "You two," Rachel growled angrily, secretly dialing up Count Noir on her phone and putting it on speakerphone.

"It seems that our plans can finally be put into action after all," Mr. Stemwrithe said.

"What are you talking about?" King Pepi asked, narrowing his eyes.

"We were waiting for Emily's powers to mature, but they took longer than we thought they would," said Mrs. Stemwrithe.

"What powers?" Rachel asked, deciding to play dumb.

Mr. Stemwrithe sneered. "Don't act stupid. We know that she got her powers from Dracula!" He said. "We saw the box in her room along with the cross necklace. It only took a little research to find out who gave it to her."

Emily gasped in shock and King Pepi glared at the couple. "You're not getting Emily," he said firmly.

"Oh, but we are," Mrs. Stemwrithe said. "The little dear is going to make us a lot of money, as vampire children are rare."

Rachel was outraged. "You would put a child on display like an animal?!" She growled out. "Not in this lifetime."

"We'll see about that," Mr. Stemwrithe said as the two pulled out some sonic weapons. King Pepi's eyes widened as he knew those weapons could cause some trouble and damage.

"Rachel, take Emily and run," he said. "I'll hold them back."

The older girl looked at him. "Pepi, be careful," she said.

"Give them some volume, my dear," Count Noir's voice came over the phone.

Rachel blinked. "Some volume?" She asked before understanding dawned on her face. "Oh!"

She took a deep breath and let out a very loud, high-pitched scream, but it wasn't a scream of fear. It was her weapon, one that her monster friends had helped her practice and perfect as she had gained it from being around them. The Stemwrithes covered their ears in pain and Rachel grabbed Emily and began running, finding the new Gothic wing the museum had just finished, but hadn't yet opened to the public. Figuring that would be the best place to hide, the two ducked inside.

King Pepi smiled as he now saw what Count Noir had been talking about and he faced the evil couple, his eyes glowing green and purple as he stretched out his arms and the suits of armor nearby sparked to life, along with the dinosaurs, who came into the Egyptian room and surrounded the three while the Triceratops skeleton allowed Pepi to climb up onto his back. His eyes flashed and the prehistoric skeletons and the suits of armor charged forward.

The Stemwrithes immediately began running, but also used their weapons to try and slow down their pursuers, but to their shock, the weapons had no effect on the dinosaurian skeletons or the suits of armor. "They don't have ears!" Mr. Stemwrithe said angrily.

King Pepi, who was thankful he had cloth over his ears to protect him, grinned, his eyes flashing again. "I warned you two that you would answer to me if you dared to come after Emily," he said, sitting tall now. "Now, you will answer to me."

He waved his hand. "Capture them," he commanded.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rachel and Emily were looking for a secure place to hide. "If only one of these doors had a lock on the inside," Rachel said in exasperation before trying a door and finding it locked. "Or at least was open so we could get in and secure ourselves."

Emily whimpered as she heard the battle with her sensitive hearing. "They're fighting Uncle Pepi," she said softly.

Rachel picked up the little girl. "Don't worry, sweetie. Your uncle Pepi knows what he's doing. He's not going to let those criminals lay their hands on you," she promised. "Nor will I."

Emily clung to her as the older girl kept searching for a hiding spot. Bonetop had offered to come in, but Rachel had gently pointed out that they may need to escape fast if things didn't go well. Though worried, the skeleton had agreed.

The two now ran further into the Gothic wing and Rachel picked a room, trying the door and relief filled her that it was unlocked. "Come on, we'll hide in here," she said to the little girl, opening the door and peeking inside to find it was a room that looked familiar and Rachel went inside with Emily in her arms and she shut and locked the door behind her before turning to see the room was lit up with both lights and electric torches.

Emily gasped and her eyes went wide as she glanced around the room. Rachel's eyes widened as she took in the torture rack, laboratory, wooden stakes, and vast library. "Why is this scary room here?" The young girl asked.

The older girl noticed an open black coffin with red lining nearby and swallowed hard. "I think it's a tribute to vampires and devices that could hurt them," she said.

The little one whimpered. "I don't like this place," she said. "Not even our basement is this scary."

Rachel had to agree that the place was spooking her too. "Well, hopefully Pepi can deal with those people and we won't be in here long," she said, holding the little girl comfortingly. "It's okay, Emily. I'm here."

The comforting words were helping the little girl, but Rachel was desperately wishing either Count Noir or Sol were with them, or any of her other monster friends. She'd feel safer then.

She backed up, watching the door until she bumped into something behind her and felt two arms come around her. Emily looked up and let out a scream of terror and squirmed to get free of Rachel's arms. The older girl let the young girl do so as she squirmed too, helping Emily to get to her feet safely. "Run, _mija!"_ Rachel cried out and the little girl ran, ducking behind a suit of armor that hid her from the creature that now held the older girl captive as she screamed.

A gloved hand clapped over her mouth and the person leaned close to her ear. "Be calm, Rachel," he said, making her freeze in alarm. He then looked around the room. "Come out, Emily. It's alright. You girls are safe here."

Rachel was trying to wrap her mind around how the person behind her knew her name and Emily's name and she tilted her head back to look at her captor and her eyes widened at seeing a pale face with dark eyes, black hair, and a fanged mouth. He looked at her and his dark eyes seemed to swirl almost hypnotically. "Shh," he said soothingly. "No need for alarm."

"Ah, Your Majesty, you got my message," Count Noir's voice came from Rachel's phone.

The monster gently plucked Rachel's phone from her back pocket. "Yes, she and Emily are safe with me," he said.

"Rachel, do you recognize who you are with?" Count Noir asked gently.

She looked at her captor and her eyes widened as she felt the gloved hand move away from her mouth. "Dracula?" She asked in stunned wonder.

He chuckled. "Yes," he said and noticed Emily peeking out at them. "Hello, Emily."

The little girl gasped as recognition filled her and she ran to him, holding her arms out and he chuckled, handing Rachel her phone and scooping up the child in his arms. "It's been a long time," he said.

Rachel let out a sigh of relief. "Well, now I feel we're safe," she said.

Count Noir's chuckle came over the line. "Good luck, you three. Be careful," he said before hanging up.

Emily hugged Dracula. "Uncle Dracula," she said before looking down. "I-I showed my family the box."

He looked concerned, but Rachel placed a hand on his arm. "The Hauntleys and myself and my friends," she clarified. "The Hauntleys adopted Emily two years ago."

Dracula looked at the little girl. "You trust them?" He asked.

She nodded. "They're keeping me safe from...from my former adoptive parents," she said.

"The Stemwrithes," Rachel said.

Dracula growled at that. "Those fools," he said, his voice becoming deeper in his anger. "They dare harm my niece?"

"That's why we ran in here," the older girl said. "King Pepi's trying to keep them back, but he might need help."

Dracula wrapped his cape protectively around Emily. "I'll keep her safe, but we need to stop the Stemwrithes for good," he said.

Rachel then gasped, remembering something and she smiled. "Dracula, follow me," she said. "I've got an idea."

* * *

 **So, Emily finally meets her adopted uncle again, but what is Rachel's idea. Stay tuned to find out! :)**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	11. Victory

**Chapter 11: Victory**

"Something just clicked," Rachel said. "It didn't completely register before, but I saw the Stemwrithes wearing necklaces with an unusual pendant."

"What did the pendant look like?" Dracula asked, still holding Emily and rubbing her back gently.

"Believe it or not, it looked like...a caped beetle," the older girl said. "Almost like...like your cape, Your Majesty."

Dracula's eyes widened. "No," he whispered in horror. "The vampire beetle."

Emily looked up at him. "What is a vampire beetle, Uncle?" She asked.

"A special amulet that was created by one of my ancestors," he replied. "When a human wears it, it grants them immortality, like a vampire."

"I was afraid that they were immortality amulets," Rachel said. "But something else though...I think I saw the amulets fall off from the Stemwrithes right before Emily and I ran in here."

Dracula stood tall. "We need to get those amulets," he said.

Rachel suddenly recalled something from her research of ancient artifacts and amulets. "Wait," she said, pausing a moment. "Is it true that if a human comes in contact or handles an artifact too long, it can affect them? Like something that can grant immortality can make a person grow old if it breaks?"

He smiled at her. "I see Count Noir wasn't overexaggerating about you loving to research everything about monsters and objects related to them," he said. "But yes to both your questions. However, with the vampire beetle immortality amulets, there's a catch."

"What's the catch?" The older girl asked.

Emily looked confused. "There's nothing to catch," she pointed out.

Dracula chuckled. "No, sweetheart," he said gently. "What I mean is that it's not simple as it sounds. There's a step or process that has to be done."

"Oh," the little girl said, somewhat understanding.

He smiled again before looking serious. "Emily has to break the amulets," he said. "Because only a human child with vampire powers can."

The older girl blinked. "Talk about a sure-fire way to make sure something isn't destroyed by anyone else," she said.

He looked a bit sheepish. "I did warn my ancestor about it, but he said that they'd never fall into human hands."

Emily looked at him. "But...if your ancestor created them, how...?" She started to ask.

Rachel chuckled. "Remember, honey, vampires age much slower than humans and have lived for a long time," she said gently.

"True," Dracula said. "Now, let's go find those amulets and put a stop to those Stemwrithes once and for all."

The blonde-haired girl nodded, looking serious. "They're not touching Emily again," she vowed.

She led the way back to the Egyptian room, noticing how several displays they passed by were devoid of artifacts or whatever items had been there before. This puzzled her and she paused, seeing the door that usually had two medievel knights in full armor guarding it now had no guards.

"Look," Emily said, pointing to the dinosaur room, but it was empty of any dinosaur bones, almost as if the skeletons had decided to go stretch their legs. "Where did they go?"

"They were here when we walked passed earlier," Rachel said.

Two screams rang out and Dracula pinpointed where they came from. "Down that way," he said and they headed in that direction, coming to a large room that looked like a theater room, no doubt for lectures or demonstrations.

But now, it was a war zone. Knights were riding on the skeletons of some of the dinosaurs while King Pepi was standing on the backbone of the Triceratops skeleton, his arms outstretched as his eyes continued to glow green and purple, making him look eerie and terrifying.

Rachel shuddered, backing up into Dracula, her eyes wide. "And I thought the guys were scary when they got mad," she said, her voice filled with fear and trembling slightly.

"Yes," Dracula said. "Anyone can be terrifying when greatly angered or pushed to their limits."

"But why is Uncle Pepi all angry?" Emily asked.

"No doubt because he is fiercely protective of you, sweetie," the blonde-haired girl answered. "Sol gets fiercely protective of me whenever my ex-boyfriend tries to come around and talk to me."

"He no doubt gives the boy the scare of his life," the king of monsters said with a chuckle.

Rachel giggled. "Oh, yeah. One time, Sol literally scared the pants off him," she said, still giggling. "We caught it all on camera too."

A gust of wind caught their attention and they saw that Pepi was now concentrating his powers to focus around the Stemwrithes, who were starting to look a bit frightened and Mrs. Stemwrithe reached for something around her neck, only to look horrified. "I can't find it!" She shrieked before looking at her husband. "You don't have yours either!"

The two realized they were missing the amulets and they looked horrified. Rachel decided it was time to move in, especially when she spotted a few knights guarding the amulets with swords drawn. She quickly, yet cautiously, moved towards them, but they crossed their swords to make her stop. "Wait, please," she said. "I need the amulets. There is a child who can break them and stop the Stemwrithes."

The knights refused to move, but Rachel didn't give up and motioned Dracula over. He came up to her, still holding Emily and shielding her from the Stemwrithes. When the knights saw the little girl, one pointed to her and then to the amulets. Rachel nodded. "Yes, she can break them," she said.

The knight put his hand out in a 'stop' motion, shaking his head before again pointing to Emily and then to the amulets. "Yes, she already said that Emily can break them," Dracula said, wondering what the controlled armor was going on about.

Rachel tried to move towards the amulets, but again, the knights blocked her way. She fell into thought before her eyes widened. "Wait, I think I get it," she said. "They're guarding the amulets, but if Emily were to approach them, they'll let her through to destory the amulets."

"I believe you might be right," he said as they heard the dinosaurs growling and King Pepi was now beginning to look absolutely terrifying, like something out of a horror movie.

Dracula gently set Emily down and gently nudged her towards the knights. One picked up the little girl and carried her over to the amulets, setting her down and silently encouraging the girl to pick them up and destroy them.

Taking a deep breath, the little girl picked up one amulet and began pressing it between her hands, almost as if she was trying to flatten out a ball of clay. A crunching sound was heard and the amulet shattered into small broken pieces that would be impossible to put back together again. She did the same to the other one.

As soon as she had done so, the Stemwrithes began to age rapidly until they were finally two very old people in their nineties. King Pepi blinked, his powers finally receding as the knights and dinosaurs went back to their exhibits and became still once again while Pepi and Dracula quickly found a place to hide and just in time, because the police came running in moments later.

"Freeze!" One of them said.

Rachel and Emily froze, along with the Stemwrithes. "What's going on here?" Another one asked.

"Officer, those are the Stemwrithes," Rachel said, pointing to the old couple. "They were trying to kidnap Emily and use her to get rich."

He nodded. "We got word of them and a picture of what they looked like," he said before shaking his head. "It's amazing how they could pull off such clever masks to hide in public and never been seen."

Rachel looked puzzled, as did Emily, but neither one said a word as the couple was taken away and the police said they had enough charges to put the two into a maximum security prison with multiple charges, so they would never get out again.

That was a relief to everyone and Dracula was equally pleased to learn that Emily had been adopted by two vampires and he was even more pleased when he learned their names. "Oxana and Boris Hauntley," he said. "I know them well."

"They're my mommy and daddy," Emily said, making him smile again.

King Pepi came up to them. "Well, the Stemwrithes are finally defeated," he said with a smile. "Emily's safe again."

The little girl hugged him and he chuckled. "I'll get her home," he said. "I better call Oxana and Boris too."

Rachel got a text on her phone and checked it, smiling. "No need," she said. "Bonetop flew back to California with the good news and brought the Hauntleys back. They're on their way home now."

"And I need to get to my coffin," Dracula said. "Goodbye, my friends. I wish you well, especially you, my little niece."

This was said to Emily, who smiled. "Love you, Uncle Dracula," she said.

He smiled. "I love you too, little one," he said before heading back to the gothic wing and back into his coffin.

Rachel and King Pepi headed out with Emily and arrived at the Scare B&B just as Bonetop and the Hauntleys arrived too. The hugs were plentiful as they all hugged each other and Emily hugged her parents, glad to finally be safe with them. Chef Remy, Demi, and Gregoria were also happy, welcoming the Hauntleys home.

Soon after, Rachel and Bonetop said goodbye to the family. "If you ever need us, just call," the blonde-haired girl said as her skeleton friend held out his arm to her and they walked back to the private plane and were soon off, back to California.

Chef Remy made a feast to celebrate while everyone pitched in to decided on how to celebrate the victory over the Stemwrithes and Emily, who was by the window, looked up at the sky, smiling.

She never had to worry about those awful people again. She was finally safe and sound.

* * *

 **Well, Emily's finally free of those two creeps. :)**

 **Please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	12. Batty And Proud

**Chapter 12: Batty And Proud**

Emily giggled as she flew around the house in her bat form, quietly going into the kitchen to try and sneak up on Remy and slip inside his rib cage, but just as she began to fly closer, the skeleton chef turned and smirked. "Not so fast, _chere,"_ he said with a chuckle, catching her and tickling her stomach in her bat form.

Giggling, Emily transformed back to her human form, to which Remy tickled her stomach a bit faster, making her laugh. "Cootchie, cootchie, coo! Tickle, tickle, tickle, _chere,"_ he cooed.

Laughing harder, the little girl managed to catch his hands, making him chuckle again. "How are your vampire lessons going, little one?" He asked.

"Good," she said before transforming into a bat and giggling. "Look how high I can fly!"

Remy smiled as he watched the girl fly around the chandelier. "Just be careful you don't crash into anything," he said gently.

She flew around a bit more before focusing her telekinesis, which was a new power her parents had been teaching her, on the skeleton's chef hat and he let out a surprised gasp before grabbing onto the hat. "Ay!" He exclaimed.

Emily giggled before successfully sneaking into his rib cage and gently flapping her wings, making Remy yelp and fall to the floor laughing.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! CHERE! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOT THE RIHIHIHIHIHIBS!" He pleaded.

The little one only giggled. "Why? I thought skeletons enjoyed a good rib tickling," she said.

Remy howled with laughter before managing to reach into his rib cage and gently catch the small bat before hearing her giggle again. "How was that, Demi?" She asked.

The blue ghost popped out from his hiding spot. "Superb!" He said. "A well-delivered pun!"

"Ay, one of you pulling puns is bad enough, Demi," Remy said without heat.

Emily flew up to the ceiling and transformed to her human form, now walking carefully on the ceiling. "I can't wait to show Uncle Dracula what I can do!" She said eagerly.

Ever since the Stemwrithe's defeat, Oxana and Boris invited Dracula to come visit whenever he liked, something Emily was excited about. King Pepi also visited a bit and was currently in one of the guest rooms as the battle with the Stemwrithes had done some damage to the museum and was being fixed along with the remodeling.

Rachel, who was visiting with Count Noir and Sol, was speaking with the mummy king now as they were all heading downstairs. "I'm not going to lie, seeing you looking angry and your eyes glowing like that frightened me a bit," the blonde-haired girl said.

"Sorry about that," King Pepi said apologetically. "I just don't like it when someone tries to hurt a member of my family."

"Believe us, we know the feeling," Count Noir said. "We've had to deal with someone trying to hurt our Rachel."

"And we've scared him off every time," Sol said, his eyes flashing a dark blue. "You'd think he would have learned by now."

Rachel shrugged. "He's a dummy and dummies often don't learn," she said.

King Pepi looked at her with a smile. "So, these guys don't let you date?" He asked.

"Nope," she said. "They've scared off any guy that comes near me, granted the guys that have tried to ask me out are ones I've never liked."

"On top of us being protective of you," Count Noir said with a chuckle.

"Too overprotective," Rachel said without heat.

"Because we love you," Sol said with a smile, giving the girl a brotherly hug.

They entered the kitchen to see Chef Remy cooking some dinner and watching Emily, who was walking around on the ceiling. Spotting them, the little girl grinned. "Look what I can do!" She said excitedly before running very fast along the ceiling, snatching Remy's chef hat and Bonetop's stovepipe hat as the dark-boned skeleton came up behind Sol.

"Hey!" He exclaimed in surprise before chuckling and looking up. "Seems my hat grew wings."

Rachel laughed, as did Vampirina, who had seen everything. Emily was giggling too and she returned the hats to their proper owners. "Sneaky little _chere,"_ Chef Remy said with a gentle smile to show he knew she was only playing.

"And quick too," Bonetop said with a grin. "Just like her family."

Oxana and Boris chuckled as they came in, Boris catching Emily as she giggled and jumped down from the ceiling to him. She hugged her father happily. "I'm glad to be part of this family," she said.

"We are too, Emily," Boris said with a smile.

"Especially now that you don't have to worry about anyone trying to come between you all," Rachel said, smiling too.

"Yes, that is a relief," Oxana said before smiling at the young girl. "Rachel, we can't thank you and your family enough for all their help."

"We were happy to help, Oxana," the blonde-haired girl said.

"Yes," Count Noir said.

"We'd do anything for family and friends," Sol said with a nod.

"And protect those that we love and care about," said Bonetop.

Vampirina noticed that it was nighttime. "Mama, Papa? Can Emily and I go flying for a bit?" She asked hopefully.

"Alright, but you girls stick together," Boris said.

"We will," Emily promised as she and her older sister turned to their bat forms and headed out.

Rachel smiled. "We need to get back home too," she said to her family before she turned and hugged the Hauntleys. "Whenever you need help again, just call."

"We will," Oxana said. "Thank you again."

Bidding each other farewell, Rachel and the monsters climbed into the plane and were soon flying back to California.

Meantime, Emily and Vampirina were giggling as they flew, enjoying the sight of their town as night settled in more. "This is so cool!" Emily said, giggling. "Can we do this every night?"

Vampirina giggled. "Most nights we'll be able to, as long as Mama and Papa say it's okay," she said. "They might even join us sometime."

Emily giggled again before grinning. "I got Chef Remy again," she said.

Her sister giggled. "I think he lets you do that," she said.

Giggling, the girls headed back home, landing in Vee's room before Emily headed for her room to change into her pajamas and Vee got into her pajamas before the girls went downstairs to the kitchen. Remy, seeing them, smiled as he placed two mugs of warm milk and a plate with a couple cookies on it on the table. "Here you are, girls," he said.

"Thanks, Remy," Emily said, hugging the skeleton, who returned her hug and felt Vampirina hug him too. He hugged the young vampire back before the girls sat down to the milk and cookies, enjoying the treats before it was their bedtime.

Oxana picked up Emily while Boris picked up Vampirina, both adults smiling at seeing the girls looked ready to fall asleep then and there. "Time for little vampires to sleep," Boris said with a smile.

They headed for Vee's room first and the parents tucked in their oldest daughter. "Goodnight, our little bat," Oxana said softly.

"Sweet dreams," Boris said.

Vampirina yawned sleepily. "Love you," she said softly before falling asleep.

The two then went to Emily's room and tucked their youngest daughter in her bed. "Sweet dreams, pumpkin," Oxana said.

"You're safe now," Boris said softly.

Emily looked at them sleepily, her eyes ready to close. "Love you, Mommy. Love you, Daddy," she said before she fell into a peaceful sleep.

The two smiled, feeling blessed to have to wonderful daughters in their lives and Emily was not only happy to be with her family who loved her and cared for her, but she was also happy to be a vampire, something she was very proud of.

* * *

 **And that concludes "The Legacy Of Family Love." Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed and a big thanks to dream1990. :)**

 **Please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


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